Chair



Feb.23, 1932. 1. c. DECKER 1,346,795

CHAIR Filed July 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Feb. 23, 1932. c, DECKER 1,846,796

1 CHAIR Filed July 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 23, 1932v PATENT x e i 7 h '1 Application filed J'uly c, 1929. Serial No. 3%,436.

This invention relates to chairs,especially those of the reclining type in which the'back" may be adjusted with reference to a statio naryseat." W V '5, It is a particular object of the inventlon to provide a construction in which th'e'chair' back automatically accommodates} itself to any desired position of the occupantsbody; Use is made'of an improved friction dev ce which isoperated impart by the weight of the occupants body and serves to effectively maintain the back in any adjusted position. Means are provided for automatically return: ing the back to its normal'sitting position, Rlwhen the chair is unoccupied. r f V 'Afurther object is the utilization of resilient means to'augment the operation ofvthe friction retaining device for the back. For

this purpose, it is proposed to make use of support the chair seat. I r It is intended to provide operatingmecha- 9b the usual upholstery springs serve to nism for the chairback which not only'is of' very simple construction, but in the main ine 95 cludes certain parts used in chairs of conven- The cost of manufacture tional character.

is thereby materially reduced.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the detailed description. given hereinafter;

Reference is now hadito the accompanying drawings, wherein there is shown a-practical embodiment of the invention and in which:

. .Fig. 1 is .a side elevation of myzimproved chair with the parts in their normal or sitting position, certain portions of the chair being broken away to show the details of construction;-- i

Fig. 2,'-a;similar view showingtheposi 3D tions' of the parts when the chair back is in recliningp'osition; g v -Fi-g. 3, a horizontal sectional view, looking upwardly, taken on. line 33 of Fig. 2-;

Fig. 4, a vertical section taken on line 4-4 ,.:il5-of,Fig.2;'

ig. 5, a fragmentary vertical sectiontaken on line 5 -5 of F ig. 1 and showing one of the V and. the chair frame; and 5D pivotal connections between the seat frame ally tufted, as indicated.

Fig. 6, a fragmentary, perspective view of 01.16 of the lower cornersof theuchairbaclr.

. of thechair' and the mechanism which per-i mits. adjustment of the chair back relative to the seat. i Suitably secured about its edges to' frame 1- 6. and covering the top ofthe frame is a flexible cushion seat 8... The seat is madeiup of the usual inner fabric liningu9, stuffing-J10, and outerfabric covering 11; ,The. seat is gener- Mounted'inside of frameworkl beneath seat 8 is a bottom or seat'frame12, This seat frame, isfniade upo'fftwo seriesof longitudinal and transverse members 13, 1:14! suitably secured together at their "points of 'intersec tion. The rigid seat framethus provided is pivotally mounted: at its forward cornersion a;

pair of brackets 15, l 5 sc'rwed or otherwise secured on, the inner faces ofchairgframe; 1

see Fig. 1) While these bracketszprovidea- 5 satisfactory ihe'ans fOnpi'vOtallv zmounting the seat frame in the chair frame, anysuitable form of pivotal. mounting "may 'beused.

, The details of one of thebrackets is shown in Fig. 5. nlt'isL-shaped andmadeof metal. 0 Near its outer extremity the braoketis provided' with 'a struck-up portion 16 having a central opening 17 A screw,ror the like, 18 extends upwardly through opening 17 and is secured in the underside of the corresponding longitudinal member 13 of-the seat frame.

A washer 19 is'located betwen thefhead of the screw and bracket 15.: I

1 The screws 18 on either side of seat frame I 12 are not screwed up tight, as shownin Eig- 9 i 5. This, permits vertical swingingmovement of they rear free endof seat frame 12 during operation of the adjustable chair back, as-will appear later. Y 1

Located between seat frame 12 and the under side of the cushion seat;8is a series of Q COll'SpIlIlgS' 20. These springs rest on seat,

i'frame '12Handserve in the usual- -manner to support the upholstered seat portion "well i above the upper-surface of the chair frame 1'. 9

Springs 20 are suitably secured, as by staples 21, to the transverse members 14 of the seat frame.

There'is a groove or depression 22 on the under face of each of'members13, 13 of the seat frame near the rear extremity thereof. The purpose of these-will appear later.

Pivotally m'ounted in chair frame 1 is a back 23. The back is upholstered in the usual manner. as indicated at 241. Theupholstery is applied to'a' frame-work, which includes a pair ofside members 25, 26 and a lower cross member 27. ally mounted intermediate ts ends on .a rod 28 which extends through suitable openings inside members 26 and is removabl y' sup-1 ported at its outer extremities inthe chair frame 1 Rod28 may be removed-by; driving it through these'openings', whenit is desired to disassemble the chair. 1 v r On each of the lowerextremities of the back frame members 25, 26 there is mounted a metal bracket-29'. Each of these bracketsahas a bent up portion 30 to the outer extremity of which'is riveted or otherwise suitably secured one of the flattened and perforated ends Of'a cross member or tube 31 LAsshownin vFlg.

- 1, tube 31'supports the rear, free end of seat frame 12. Theseatjframe, will belnoted, extends above'cross member 31 andbetween thelower extremities ofthe side members 25, 26 of the back. Normally, the'parts-are disposedlin the'sitting position .shown: inFig. 1.

'At this time, cross member ortube 31 engages with the pair of depressionsorrecesses '22, 22 on the-underside'of seat frame 12., The

, parts are held in this positionby'a' coil spring 32,-one end .ofwhichis attachedto tube 31 p and-.the other end to'theendboard 7 -ofthe; 4 i

chair'frame. v i The lower portions'of the side members'25,

' 26 of the chair back 'are each cutaway at 33,

so as toprovide a stop surface 34;Wl1lChIlOT- mally. engagesjwith end board 7 ofthe chair vframe and'thus limitstheforward swinging movement of the back. Each of. thesame members also has an inclined stop .surfac'e35 which, as shown in Fig. 2,-limits the rearward -s'winging;movement of theback bv engagin with the upper edge-ofend board-7, V

.O-peratz'o m As stated,-when the movable parts of the chair are-in-the positions shown in Fig. 1, i. e., the sitting position, tube 31is in engagement with the grooves 22, 22 onthe underside of the seat frame. Since the"upholstery springs 20 are placed in position under: compression-.the acti'on ofthese springs "will" cooperate with the weight 'of the free end of seat frame'12 to force thela-tterinto close frictional engagement with the upper surfaceof cross-member 31. g r i; The arrangement of brackets 15,15 on which the seat frame 12 is pivoted and rod 28 'onwwhich the back is pivoted, is such that, w ,when the back-is swungrearwardly, cross member 31 serves to pry up or elevate the rear end of bottom frame 12 and at the same time slides along in close frictional contact with the under surface of members 13, 13.

Inasmuch as any elevation of seat frame 12 operates in opposition to the upholstery springs 20, there is produced a considerable frictional resistance tothe'movement'of cross member 31 along the under surface of pivoted ame I e.

Even though this frictional resistance to movement of the parts may be increased more The back is pivot or less when the seat is occupied and the upi v holstery springs are, further compressed, the

resistance in no way interferes with efficient operationlof the mecha'nism...- The resistance is" suflicient,'*h'owever-,- together with the weightv of a person?s body, tomaintai'n the parts in any adjusted position without any efiortlonthepartof the occupant.

, The interengagement'of' cross-member 31 and grooves 22, 22 1 provides for an initial,

relatively high resistance tomovement of the chair back 23 from its normal,-upright pos1-' Ztion of Fig. .1. This prevents the chairb'ack fromimoving out of the sitting position. as soon as the occupant brings -his weight against the baclgeven thoughhe desired to remain inth'e sitting position. 7

To move the back from tion, the occupant exerts suflicient pressure against the back with the upper part ofihis body to force member31out of grooves 22, 22 zlipdlonto the main,fl at surfaces of members This initial rearward movement of the back the-"sitting posiand? other T subsequent rearward movements are facilitated bythe natural raising'of the so adjusted as-long as the position of the occuf pants body is unchanged. 1 However, assoon as the occupant raises his body, spring32 causes the chair back to automatically follow the position oftheoccupants back. When h'ejleaves thefchair the back immediately returns to the sitting position of Fig. 1.

r '-Attention is called to the factthat iii my. adjustable chair "construction the conventional: seat. upholstery springs. 20 perform a dual function. That is, they not 'only'support'the upholstery seat 8, but provide the spring-means necessary for operation of the adjustable back. The bottom frame 12,

which is not unlike the ordinary seat bottom -frame, also serves a dual purpose, that of supporting upholstery springs 20 and functioning as a part of. the friction device for the adjustable back. p v

The mechanism whereby the back of the chair may be adjusted is extremely simple frame; a stationary seat attached to said; frame; a movable seat bottom mounted inthe frame; spring meansbetween the seat and the seat bottom; a back pivoted in the body frame; and 'meanson the back below its pivot for slidably supporting a portion ofthe'seat bottom.

2. In a chair, the combination of a body frame; a stationary, flexible seat attached to said frame; a seat frame pivoted 1n the body frame; spring means interposed between the" seat and the seat frame; abELCkPIVOtBCl 1n the chair frame and having a portion thereof extending below its pivot forslidably sup porting a free end of the seat frame; and spring means for normally maintaining the chair back in an upright position.

3. In a chair, the combination of a body. frame; a flexible seat secured about its edges to the body frame; a seat frame pivotally mounted at its front edge in the body frame;

coil springslocated between the'seat and the I seat frame; a back pivotally mounted intermediate its ends in the body frame; a cross member mounted on the back below its pivot and slidably supporting the free end of the seat frame; and spring means formaintaining the back in a normal, upright position.

4:. In a chair, thecombination' of a body frame; a-stationary seatattached to said frame; a seat frame mounted in the body frame; spring means between the seat-frame and the seat; a back position; means on for slidably supporting a portion of the seat frame; high, initial resistance tomovement of the back from its normal position.

5. In a chair, the combination of a frame; a stationary seat attached to frame;

body said a seatframe pivotally mounted at its front edge in the body frame; springs located between the seat and the seat frame; a back pivot-ally mounted intermediate its ends in the body frame for movement between sitflting and reclining positions; a cross bar mounted on thelower end of the back below' its pivot and slidably supporting the free end of the seat frame, said seat frame being provided with a depression on its under side;

pivoted in'the body frame and normally disposed in an upright,

the back below itspivot and, means for causing relatively.

and spring means connecting the back and. I

the chair frame for normally maintaining the back in sitting position in said depression.

6. The combination in frame; frame; a movable member mounted in the a chair'of a body frame beneath the seat; spring means interposed between the seat and said member to oppose movement of the latter towards theseat a back pivoted in the body frame; and

a stationary seat. attached to said.

with the. cross barv 7 means onthe back below its pivot for slidably engaging said :movable member and ac tuating it in opposition to said spring means upon movement-of the back towards recliningposition... i

'7. 'The'combination in a chair of a body 1 *frame; a stationary: seat attached to said frame; a seat frame pivotally mounted in the body frame; spring means between the'seat and the. seat frame opposing upward moveend of the seat frame; a back .pivotally mounted intermediate its ends ment of the free in the body frame and having a portion thereof'below its pivot slidably engaging said free endof'the seat frame to support said end and to elevate it upon rearward swinging move-' ment of the upper portion of the back; and spr ng means normal, uprightpo'sition. v

8. a chair, thecombination ofa body frame; a flexible seat attached directlyto said for maintaining the back in a j frame; spring means mounted on theframe' and resiliently supporting the seat; aiback Y i pivotally mounted on the frame for movement between sitting and reclining positions;

and means, including slidably-engaging parts, interposed between the back and the spring means, whereby movement of theback towards reclining position resisted by said spring means.

In testimony whereof I name to this specification.

ISAAC (l. DECKER.

have signed my a am,- 

